Jeff Sessions’ final message to DOJ staff: ‘What I’m proud of is you’

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday sent a farewell email to Justice Department employees, telling them he was proud of their work.

The email was sent less than a day after Mr. Sessions resigned from the position at the request of President Trump. He was replaced on interim basis by Matthew G. Whitaker, who previously served as Mr. Sessions’ chief of staff.

Mr. Sessions told staffers that when he started out as a young assistant U.S. attorney, he never thought he would rise to become attorney general. However, the work his staff accomplished meant more to him than the job, Mr. Sessions wrote.

“But what I’m proud of is not a title or a job,” Mr. Sessions wrote. “What I’m proud of is this Department — the 115,000 people who work together to pursue our goals. What I’m proud of is you.”

Mr. Sessions said department initiatives such as reducing violent crime, homicides and overdose deaths were showing signs of progress along with increased firearm and illegal immigration prosecutions.

“Over my nearly 16 years in this Department, it has been an incredible honor to work with people who day after day and year after year consistently exceeded expectations,” Mr. Sessions wrote. “That is just the standard we hold ourselves to here.”